Kress, Brother and Sister [D. H.]
St. Helena, California
July 23, 1908
Portions of this letter are published in VSS 95; 7MR 196. +NoteOne or more typed copies of this document contain additional Ellen White handwritten interlineations which may be viewed at the main office of the Ellen G. White Estate.
Dr. D. H. Kress
Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C.
Dear Brother and Sister Kress:
I would be very pleased to see you and converse with you. I have a special interest in you and in your work. You both have an important work to do. Do not fail or be discouraged. The Lord will give you grace and the power of His Holy Spirit. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 1
I have received special light that no minister should have kept before him the necessity of getting married. The thoughts of the students in our schools should not be diverted from the great object of their school work, which is to qualify body, and mind, and soul to glorify God. Let the minds of students be diverted from the great object of life to the subject of marriage, and they lose much of the advantages they should obtain in the school. Let our students make the most of their time to gain a knowledge of Him who gave His life to make it possible for every human being to grasp eternal life. From childhood to manhood or womanhood, we are to consider the meaning of the words of the apostle, “Ye are bought with a price.” [1 Corinthians 6:20.] When the father and mother realize this, they will live lives that are consecrated to God; they will copy Christ’s example and seek to be complete in Him. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 2
What is true education? The Psalmist answers, “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” [Psalm 119:130.] What does this mean?—to the simple? It means those who feel their dependence upon God. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 3
Let us reverently consider the great plan of salvation that has been laid and carried out for us. The only begotten Son of God clothed His divinity with humanity, and in our world was tempted by every temptation that man must meet. Therefore He is able to teach us how to meet and overcome the foe. In His human experience Christ met and conquered Satan. When attacked by the enemy in His weak condition, after having fasted for forty days and forty nights, He did not waver or compromise. Every word spoken was right to the point. “If Thou be the Son of God,” Satan said, “command that these stones be made bread.” Christ replied, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” [Matthew 4:3, 4.] 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 4
The Word of God is plain and distinct, revealing truth in contrast with error. Let us grasp the truth and hold it fast under every temptation. The Word of God, used as Christ used it in His hour of trial, will raise up a standard against the enemy for every tempted soul. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 5
I have carried very heavy burdens for those of our number who have given themselves to work on the side of wrong. I feel so sorry that they should have done this. Lately I have been reading the General Conference Bulletins of 1893 and 1897, and I am much relieved with what I find there. The Lord certainly gave to A. T. Jones at those conference gatherings a message in vindication of the testimonies that should strengthen and bless His people. These discourses of his should be republished for the benefit of our people, and perhaps this may be the means of opening his own eyes. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 6
I have been referred to case after case where men have spoken just such messages under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, yet who, later on, because they have not learned the lesson of walking humbly with God, and have failed to make Christ their efficiency, their front guard and their rearward, have become self-exalted and have lost their spiritual eyesight. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 7
Read carefully the instruction given to the prophet Ezekiel in the second and third chapters of this book: 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 8
“And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 9
“And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 10
“And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee: Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat what I give thee. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 11
“And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and lo, a roll of a book was therein; and He spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations and mourning, and woe. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 12
“Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll. And He said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 13
“And He said unto me, Son of man, go get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, [but to the house of Israel; not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language,] whose words thou canst not understand. Surely had I sent thee to them, they would have harkened unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto Me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted. Behold I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all thy words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 14
“Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. So the Spirit lifted me up, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.” [Ezekiel 2:1-10; 3:1-14.] 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 15
I was charged to bring these Scriptures before the people. These words are applicable to those who have set themselves so decidedly against the messages of the Lord. The Lord will surely deal with His people at the present time as He has dealt with them in the past. I thought the camp-meeting at Melrose would be an appropriate time to give this message, but it was not given because there were so many there who knew not their true condition before God. The enemy had filled hearts and minds with doubt and unbelief. Many were lost in the fog. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 16
A straight testimony must now be borne. The Lord’s purposes have not been carried out, and because of this a heavy burden has been laid upon the souls of some who have felt the burden of the work. At Battle Creek a work has steadily been going forward in opposition to the messages that God has sent. Those who have maintained their positions of stubborn determination to counterwork the work of the Holy Spirit, by resisting the messages borne in our conferences, have exerted an influence that has been in marked contrast to the Holy Spirit’s counsels. They are now called to come into line by repentance and confession. Truth, saving truth is to be repeated. Christ’s reply to Satan in the wilderness of temptation brought Him into no controversy with the enemy. He did not attack Satan’s theories, but kept to the affirmative. His example is a lesson to us. In all discussions with an opponent, we may meet him with a plain Thus saith the Lord. Do not deal with his objections, but present the truth in the affirmative. Truth, eternal Bible truth—this is essential for our salvation. Let it be expressed in our words and in our daily life. O how important it is that every soul who is striving for the crown of life strive lawfully. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 17
The only begotten Son of God came to our world to reveal truth in contrast with error. This saving truth we are to reveal in our speech and in Christlike deportment. Truth never languished on the lips of Christ. It was clearly defined, in words, in works, in spirit. He declared of Himself, “For this cause came I into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth.” [John 18:37.] He was the truth, the Light of the world. His bright beams were to shine amid the moral darkness of this sin-cursed world. 23LtMs, Lt 222, 1908, par. 18